Sex & Fury: If I were in your shoes my main concern would be the subtitle font, which was said to be "ugly" on the UK disc. The transfers should be next to identical. The commentary is not really worth extra money. Of course it's better than nothing and Chris D does know something about these films, but he's no Bey Logan when it comes to making entertaining commentaries.

PV box set: I don't know what's up with cdwow, but if I had to take a wild guess I'd say the cheaper one was added to the site before the box set was released (I don't remember the release date, but I think it was a little later than what they state... I think it got postponed from the original a bit... and the product description is partly wrong... claiming Criminal Woman to be a part of the Zero Woman series (wtf series?)) and the more expensive one was added later. But basically I think they are listing the same product twice (with different prices). I've seen it happen before. I'm quite sure the box set was never re-released.

That greeting actually appeared in one of the movies I saw at the film festival, Suzuki's Sukeban Blues: Mesu Bachi no Chousen and the reaction from the crowd was unbelievable! Great movie too

Thanks for the info HungFist, I took a risk and ordered the cheaper of the two sets, I'll get back to you on how it turns out. As for S&F, I may just go for the (cheaper but still not cheap!) UK version for the moment, hopefully I won't need the subs too much, unless I'm just overestimating my Japanese ability! If I enjoy it I'll probably go for the Panik House version of Female Yakuza Tale.

Also thinking of ordering Toei's recently reissued 4 Sasori films, on a bit of a Kaji Meiko kick right now Anyone heard anything about the quality these?

For Jailhouse 41 you need to get the Toei, unless if you can't stand the cropping, in which case you should get Pathe's French La Femme Scorpion box set (actually, you should get it anyway as it's the only way to own the New Female Prisoner films ) but you can save on the rest by getting the R1 Media Blaster's box set (includes parts 1,3 and 4). Media Blaster used the Toei transfers, although part has lower bitrate, part 3 was said to have slighty different (better) contrast, and part 4 I don't know except that the source material should be the same.

But then again, it would be cooler to own all the Meiko film on Toei so I don't blame you if you wanna get those

You'd assume the Japanese releases would be the best quality but looking at the Jailhouse 41 caps the Pathe release seems superior. It's not so clear cut with the others though.

I wonder if the new limited (12/07-3/08 ) Toei releases are remastered. Is that the version of Jailhouse 41 you used for your comparison or was it the older one? Those releases are pretty cheap right now and I could still probably get the Pathe box for around the same price as the 4 original films from Toei. Grudge Song on the Pathe looks awful though!

But then again, it would be cooler to own all the Meiko film on Toei so I don't blame you if you wanna get those

Unfortunatly I only caught, Sukeban Blues, Tokugawa Sekkusu Kinshirei and Truck Yaro. The screening of Truck Yaro was great though, it was screen outdoor in the castle grounds on a huge screen. They actually brought in the original retooled Ichiban Boshi truck from the movie! Great atmosphere, great night.

The other highlight was the all-night screening of festival highlights at the reopened grindhouse cinema, 10:30pm-8:00am 6 films. Again a great place to watch this sort of movies. I'll admit I knew next to nothing about Japanese Exploitation cinema before that but it was a great introduction!

They also had Uchida Yuya and Ishii Sogo collections, but the highlight for me were definatly the Suzuki films. I don't know whether it's something they're planning to do annually but if they did I'd definatly go back for that

Here’s the book I mentioned before, 'Pinky Violence – Toei’s Bad Girl Films', by J-Taro Sugisaku and Takeshi Uechi. 276 pages full film descriptions, pictures, stills, posters, articles, interviews. Everything is in Japanese of course so to language handicapped this is a pure fan product. It’s still very useful with all the pictures and information about films that you didn’t knew existed.

If you ever wanted to see a sequel without knowing anything about it forehand, here’s a good film to try your luck with... but, if you’re still reading, I’ll try to explain why the film took this viewer by a surprise. Rica 3 takes an U-turn from the previous instalment, not only by ditching the snowy landscapes Rica 2 in order to bathe in summer green, but also by practically switching genre. Rica 3 is a slapstick comedy born into an exploitation family.

The opening already is promising. Catfights, reform school girls, comical eye-patched guard, everybody wearing a mini skirt (excluding the males of course)... Everything is funny and silly, sometimes a bit sexy too but always in a very upbeat way. The big scratch to this image, which was maybe to be expected considering the genre film roots, comes in form of some rapes and threat of sexual violence. While none of it is graphic by exploitation film standards the fact that the victims are way underage give these scenes very nasty punch.

Another serious element in the film is the themes of racism, which have been prominent throughout the series but have been given most emphasis in this concluding part. But, I guess there’s no need to point out that this film isn’t exactly an intelligent analysis on anything. In fact, the one remarkable black character the film has - God forgive me if I’m wrong – doesn’t even seem like she was born black... And then of course we have our beautiful heroine beating the racists street thugs with a huge French bread...

The way the film mixes some sub-genres is a bit similiar to the first Rika film, and I feel these twists are better left unspoiled. Nevertheless, fans of laid-back 70’s pop movies should get several good kicks from the film. Cast-wise the film features solid supports with no irritating or unnecessary characters. The charming lead Rika Aoki, who forgot to take off her clothes the the previous film, no longer feels such need to cover herself up, although an all out nudity fest this film is not. But fan service is generous in form of Rika’s constantly changing and stylish outfits. The final reward is saved till the very end.

After Exploitation Digital’s somewhat disappointing work with the middle-Rica it comes as a positive surprise that the progressive dvd presentation for Rica 3 is very pleasing. The encoding problems that plagued the first film are gone, and the transfer is no longer overly soft and dark like in the second film. The amount of edge enhancement is about zero. The colours seem a little overdone at times, but while this isn’t a 100% pristine transfer there isn’t really any major flaws.

HungFist wrote:Rica 3 (Konketsuji Rika: Hamagure komoriuta) (1973)In fact, the one remarkable black character the film has - God forgive me if I’m wrong – doesn’t even seem like she was born black...

I thought the same thing.One doesn't wanna go assuming something but if you see her in that one screenshot you posted, the skin tone definately does not look natural.

I enjoyed part 3 but found it lacking in areas.
I still enjoyed the second better.I liked the pacing better and the almost polar opposite tone of the film compared to the first.
Also, it had Rica singing on stage. +1 over the third.

I'm still sad they never dealt with the villian who jumped off the ship in the first movie.

I got Deliquent Girl Boss: Blossoming Night Dreams in the mail Saturday.
Gave it a whirl for the first 5 minutes before I went to bed last night and it looks like its gonna be good stuff.I'll report back later since I know your a bit of a Reika fan hf.

I watched Blossoming Night Dreams last night.It of course does not top the ending of Worthless to Confess(What ever will?).The overall movie leading up to this I enjoyed quite a bit more then W2C though.Reika Oshida is just adorable in this movie from beginning to end, to a degree I can't even formulate in to words.Her sexuality is MUCH more on display in this movie then it was in W2C.

Also pleasently suprised to see Junko Miyazono in the film as well.She isn't quite as attractive as say Reika but I think she more then makes up for it in the acting department.Got a cute smile too. :twisted: First caught her in Fury Bancho 2, then the first Poisonous Seductress and now this she is steadily starting to grow on me.

As always i'd like to delve more in to it but i'm not really good with that kinda stuff plus I know you haven't seen it yet.Gonna give W2C a whirl tonight since I haven't watched it since I first got the Pinky Violence collection some time ago so I can compare the two.

And on a last somewhat pinky violence unrelated note I ordered the original Abashiri Prison.Ken Takakura, Tetsura Tamba and Teruo Ishii.How have I not seen this yet?

Abashiri has been on my shopping list since... I don't know. But for quite a long time anyway

I still haven't watched Legends either. Maybe tomorrow...

I wouldn't mind to see you write some reviews too

*******************

R1 news: Slave Widow (Dorei mibojin) (1967)
04/01/2008

When a woman's husband kills himself, she is forced to become the sexual slave of a wealthy businessman in order to settle her debts. When the wealthy man's son also falls in love with her, everything gets a lot more complicated. This early Pink film takes its time to create an aesthetic environment, not just a depraved one.-- Rick Stanko

3 REASONS TO BUY THIS FILM

* It's a beautifully erotic early Pink film. * Naomi Tani and Noriko Tatsumi in the same film. * With a title like that, how can you not?

Also, another Cinema Epoch announcement

The Bite (1965)
May 13, 2008

Last edited by HungFist on 30 Apr 2009, 14:23, edited 2 times in total.

I was use to seeing Takakura as the strong silent type in the Red Peony films but in Abashiri he is a complete 180 and just as good if not better.

Lots of Toei regulars and a damn well made film.
Definately a "per quota" film raised above that stature by how great it is.
I'm just sad their aren't subs out there for the sequels as i'd like to see where they ended up going with things.
The first still has enough closure to be watched as a standalone movie that probably didn't have sequels planned before it's success.

Also received Girl Boss Revenge and gave it a view last night.
Good stuff.I think I may actually like the one released in the PV collection more though.
The real treat of course is the Suzuki interview.

Hungfist- I command you now to order Fury Bancho 2 before you order ANYTHING else this year.

1. HK distibutor Panorama has a differing way to number the films. They consider the 1974 film part 1, and the 80s films sequels. Usually the 80s films are considered a new series, and therefore the numbering should start from 1. Panorama however starts from 2. It means that the film they call Flower and Snake 2 is actually Flower and Snake 1 (aka the first film made in the 80s).

2. Distibutors of the Panorama dvds have been widely misinformed about the japanese titles. As a result some of the japanese titles are even one more number ahead. Some of the production years are also wrong.

3. Wikipedia and Weisser's book are unaware of the existence of the final film, which is Kyukyoku Nawa Chokyo. It's available on R2J, but Panorama has not yet released it. It's the fourth film in the 80s series, but Panorama will naturally call it Flower and Snake 5.

EDIT: I got the last bit wrong; Weisser and Wiki do knowledge the last film, it's the second film (not counting the 74 original) that they are missing: Shiiku hen.

Below is how I figured the 80s films go. The films are in chronological order. R2J left, Panorama right. I can not quarantee this is correct.

EDIT 2: Panorama has now announced the last film also.

Last edited by HungFist on 22 Mar 2008, 19:47, edited 3 times in total.

gathering a few Nikkatsu mini reviews here and adding caps. No need for r2j comments, the caps speak for themselves and I don't recall any nasty suprises.

I'll start with Abe Sada. No caps for this one as I saw it on TV. I also saw Watcher in the Attic (good) and Secret Chronicle: She Beast Market (very good), but I'm planning to buy those later so I'll review them some other time.

A Woman Called Abe Sada (Jitsuroku Abe Sada) (1975)

Tanaka’s view of the famous true story is, unfortunately, rather bland. This despite the fact that it’s considered as one of the very best films in the genre by some. The visually talented director is trapped with a script that takes place almost fully in one room. Tanaka still manages to create some stylish images, but the music choices are weak. The lead role is played by genre legend Junko Miyashita, but her acting talent isn’t on the level this story requires. The characters feel distant, which partly the director’s fault. The little impact the film might have had in 1975 was all gone only one year later when Nagisa Oshima’s notoriously graphical but psychologically challenging adaptation of the same story hit the screens, under the title Ai no corrida.

Nikkatsu talent Chusei Sone’s happy go lucky pink comedy is about as far from the studio’s later ultra shockers as possible. The rather non-existent storyline kicks off when a mentally challenged girl is sold to a brothel. The problem is that she doesn’t quite understand the situation, let alone know what a prostitute is supposed to do. The results are nothing short of hilarious. The three blind idiots scene alone makes the film worth a watch. The comedy aspect also more or less eliminates the problems usually caused by the hight amount of sex in these films. If there is a flaw in the film, it’s that it ultimately doesn’t offer much other than laughs in a single house setting. The ending is also a bit less exhilarating than the rest of the movie. The film later received two sequels, Torture Hell and She Beast Market, both directed by Noboru Tanaka.

Last edited by HungFist on 24 Feb 2008, 22:38, edited 1 time in total.

I’m starting to believe I’ll never come across a Naomi Tani classic that I would enjoy. In Noble Lady she plays the same character as some many times before and after, a housewife with too much shame. Time for the husband to begin the usual punishment procedure. Despite being set in a beautiful rural mountain area the filmmakers have opted to use indoor setting for most of the film. Hated almost every sceond. Smut legend Masaru Konuna directs.

Last edited by HungFist on 27 Nov 2008, 14:58, edited 1 time in total.

As far as ’straightening up office ladies and housewives’ genre goes I have hated everything I’ve seen. Until now. Beautiful Teacher in Torture Hell has a promising start with an interesting main character (female teacher and a kendo expert) and even some effective horror movie esque moments. Later the movie falls into the expected and somewhat boring punishment/torture cycle but as a whole it’s still one of the better efforts in the (sub) genre. The original use of music and a burning hot high school girl as a supporting character are some of the film’s biggest strengths. The film is not as disturbing as some of Nikkatsu's other s&m pieces, although this isn't exactly light weight entertainment either. Genre enthusiasts ought to take a look.

Last edited by HungFist on 27 Nov 2008, 14:58, edited 1 time in total.

Nikkatsu’s film titles have never been a good indicator of content, and it’s not the case here either. Sex is spot on, but who the hunter is remains a mystery to me. The film opens with a ballet sequence that gives little clue of what’s to come. After the first 15 minutes (which is nearly one fourth of the total running time) Sex Hunter reveals it’s true form; it’s another s&m schooling film. However, this time the lady that must be converted into a shameless man eater is not a noble house wife but a young and innocent ballet dancer (Ayako Ohta). A good move, if you ask me.

Director Toshiharu Ikeda, who was also responsible for the Angel Guts instalment Red Porno, does his best to create a balance between the numbening sex overload and real cinematic storytelling. The camerawork manages to keep many scenes alive, and the weird jump cuts make audience wonder if they’re intentional or not. Using classical music to create contrast between audio and images is not the most original trick but does the job every now and then. The shocking, and by far greatest, Coca Cola product placement scene of all time made me question not only the film-makers’s sanity but also their understanding for gravity and human biology. I’m no expert on either, though, and will leave the judgement to scientist and gynacologists.

Despite Ikeda’s efforts the studio was not compeletely happy with the outcome. They blamed him for forgetting to insert the romance part in the film. The genre is called roman – as in romantic – porno after all. The accusation feels a bit weird considering Nikkatsu had just revived their less than tender (ultra) violent pinku sub-genre, and Sex Hunter in fact does have a minor love story hidden in there somewhere. And I’m not referring to the male lead’s love for s&m either. Nobuyuki Inoue’s little brother character, trapped in wheelchair and isolated from the surrounding world thanks to her dominating sister, is a genuinely likable character. The scenes between him and his long lost love have both emotional and psychological impact. Thin, perhaps, but effective.

The best of these scenes also differs from the rest of the movie in terms of setting. The three room mansion, where most of the film takes place, is typical Nikkatsu, but occasional outdoor visits allow the film to breathe a bit. The mansion’s stylish surroundings are, as weird as it may sound, slightly redolent of medieval European landscapes. But, as all good things in Sex Hunter, this strength also is under-used in the long run. Little is however better than none, and when you calculate all the numerous positives the film has, Sex Hunter ultimately lands on the posive side.

Last edited by HungFist on 27 Nov 2008, 14:59, edited 1 time in total.

Tatsumi Kumashiro has been known as ”Nikkatsu’s most consistently successful director”, but nothing could’ve prepared me for this manical pink yakuza flick which feels like a combination of Miike, Almodovar and Tanaka. If you thought the genre couldn’t surprise you, think again, every 5 minutes. Still, beneath all the madness there’s a real screenplay that even places the sex scenes somewhat ”logically”. Perhaps most importantly, Kumashiro’s skill with editing and music is exhilarating. He uses pops and ballads, even wedding and funeral music throughout the film and merges them with images flawlessly. Artistic skill; a lot, entertainment value; even more, how much drugs; I don’t know.

Last edited by HungFist on 28 May 2008, 21:59, edited 3 times in total.

Geneon’s artwork sucks most of the time, but occasionally they manage to create something that pleases the eye. Below are some examples.

1. Watcher in the Attic. Beautiful cover art that is also in line with the film’s style. Directed by Noboru Tanaka

2. Shinjuku Midaregai: Ikumade Matte, by Chusei Sone. I haven’t seen the movie, but the cover art alone has made me interested.

3. Yasuhare Hasebe’s notorious Rape! 13th Hour. This one should catch your attention. And if not, read the IMDB synopsis: ”A serial rapist takes on a young protégé to his craft as he is pursued by a homosexual gang seeking vengeance for an attack on their leader.”

4. Secret Chronicle: She Beast Market. A very good and artistic film by Noboru Tanaka, with intoxicating audio and visuals. Funnily, the cover art reminds me of Sofia Coppola’s excellent Marie Antoinette

did a bit of content editing after re-thinking the logical order, see "new" post two posts back. Sorry for the confusion

In 1988, when Nikkatsu’s roman porno line came to its end, they created a ”documentary film celebrating their 17 years of pink”. The film is called That's Roman Porno: Smile Of Goddesses (ザッツ・ロマンポルノ 女神たちの微笑み). It features clips from 78 Nikkatsu films. It was first released on dvd in 1999, and re-released in 2006.

However, all I've said above is ”I think”. Wikipedia claims it features clips from over 100 films. Yeasia says 78 (for both editions). Neowing thinks 76 (new edition). Some people call it trailer compilation. Weisser says ”clips that are often distractingly short”. And while most sources think it runs 95 minutes, some say over 100 min. And of course the new and the old dvd have different cover arts. Go figure...

Below is the cover art for the old dvd (the new one is totally different, but I can't find a very good pic of it)

Retreat Through the Wet Wasteland was a problematic production from the beginning. In 1973 Nikkatsu had already taken a full dive into the ’pink only’ strategy, however roman porno was not what director Yukihiro Sawada had on mind. He and screenwriter Kazuhiko Hasegawa (The Man Who Stole the Sun) had crafted an uncompromising tale of police corruption with little emphasis on the typical pink film elements.

Reportedly the studio executives were less than willing to see the film completed, but the strong willed production crew kept their heads and only gave in to the studio’s requirement to camouflage the film by adding the word ”wet” into the title. As unfair as such compromise may feel, it was a small price to pay for director Sawada. After all, he did not deliver a harmless sex flick but a political hand granade that could have caused a scandal.

The film opens with five men breaking into church, stealing the charity funds and raping the churchwarden’s daughter. Later these men, who turn out to be police officers, return to the scene of crime to cover their tracks. Being above the law and able use their position to get away clean from any situation, there seems to be no stopping this group. Not until a former colleague of theirs escapes from a mental institution and forms a possible risk factor. Two cops set out to capture and take out this new threat.

Retreat Through the Wet Wasteland lives up to its reputation. The storyline is dark but well written, and doesn’t play only for shock value. The main character, excellently played by Takeo Chii, is a sort of anti-version of the typical noir hero. He is the villain and a beast, but his appearance is the definition of cool. The audience’s sympathy lies with the man he is hunting. This character, who is given a notable amount of screentime during the second half, brings the more humane side into the movie.

Sawada’s film is not without flaws, but most of them are minor and don’t have much affect on the overall quality. The music for example features one or two misses, but works fine most of the time. The cinematography is impressive throughout. The way Sawada often uses long, handheld takes and brings the camera extremely close to the characters to achieve more depth feels ahead of its time. The film is typically short, 73 minutes, but it feels just about right. Somehow the director even manages to avoid the usual genre pitfall; hardly any of the running time is wasted on unnecessary sex scenes. What is found here, is mostly there for a reason.

Geneon's dvd is a rather unsurprising package. Good, if not quite pristine progressive transfer. Audio features no problems but as usual, subtitles are not included. Extras are limited to the original trailer. No other dvds are available, and as as far as I know, the film has never been released english friendly.

Junko Miyazono stars in this stylish and surprisingly story driven revenge film. Labeled as ”the original pinky violence film” by the US distributor Synapse Female Demon Ohyaku doesn’t feature much more nudity than Miyazono’s tattooed back, but the violence is strong and bloody. The amount of action is small but the main point of the film lies undeniably elsewhere. As a female action film Female Demon Ohyaku could be considered a sort of early pinky violence film, but the lack graphic sex and nudity sets it appart from "true pinky violence films". The themes however are there. While the film never gets boring it feels like it could be a bit more exciting than it is now. The legendary Tomisaburo Wakayama has a small supporting role as a local yakuza boss. His role does not feature any action.